On May 7, 2019 Sensei Biotherapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing precision immuno-oncology therapies, reported a clinical trial collaboration with AstraZeneca to evaluate the safety, tolerability and preliminary activity of AstraZeneca’s IMFINZI (durvalumab), a human monoclonal antibody directed against programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), in combination with SNS-301 (Press release, Sensei Biotherapeutics, MAY 7, 2019, View Source [SID1234535852]). SNS-301, Sensei’s first-in-class immunotherapy candidate, is a therapeutic cancer vaccine utilizing a bacteriophage viral vector targeting aspartate β-hydroxylase (ASPH), a novel embryonic antigen.
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Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca and Sensei will collaborate to evaluate the combination of SNS-301 and IMFINZI in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer in the neoadjuvant setting in conjunction with TPF chemotherapy prior to surgical resection and in ASPH+ patients with various locally advanced unresectable or metastatic/recurrent solid tumors. AstraZeneca will supply IMFINZI for these clinical studies and Sensei will sponsor and fund the Phase 2 studies. AstraZeneca and Sensei will each retain full worldwide rights to their respective molecules.
"We are extremely pleased to collaborate with AstraZeneca, a leader in the cancer immunotherapy field. SNS-301 targets a novel mechanism to activate and direct ASPH-specific T-cells to tumors. We believe that when combined with IMFINZI, SNS-301 has the potential to deepen and broaden the overall immune-mediated response," said John Celebi, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sensei Biotherapeutics. "This clinical collaboration strengthens our position as pioneers of precision oncology therapeutics by focusing on improved clinical outcomes for ASPH-positive patients through novel clinical combinations."
About SNS-301
SNS-301 is a first-in-class immunotherapy candidate utilizing a bacteriophage viral vector that targets human aspartate β-hydroxylase (ASPH), a cell surface enzyme that is normally expressed during fetal development. Following fetal development, the protein is no longer expressed. Expression of ASPH is uniquely upregulated in more than 20 different types of cancer and is related to cancer cell growth, cell motility and invasiveness. ASPH expression levels are inversely correlated with disease prognosis. Though enhanced antigen presentation and other engineered immunotherapeutic features, SNS-301 is designed to overcome self-tolerance and induce robust and durable humoral and cellular immune responses that are specific to ASPH. SNS-301 is delivered through intradermal injection and avoids time consuming and uncomfortable infusions, greatly facilitating ease of use.
About IMFINZI (Durvalumab)
IMFINZI (durvalumab) is a human monoclonal antibody that binds to PD-L1 and blocks the interaction of PD-L1 with PD-1 and CD80, countering the tumor’s immune-evading tactics and releasing the inhibition of immune responses. As part of a broad development program, IMFINZI is being investigated as monotherapy and in combination with immuno-oncology (IO) agents, small molecules, and chemotherapies across a range of tumors and stages of disease.